Immigration to become an agency, what does it mean

[Dom Tuk]

In the latest overhaul the IND which was a department in the Home Office is to get agency status. What does this actually mean and what are the differences from its previous status as a department.

[WendyS]

What will the difference be? Very little I suspect. Still all huff and puff and no improvement in the end results.
I'd put all these people on a "Performance by Results" job contract. If they don't achieve, they don't get a salary increase. And the bosses lose their job. Simple as that. That's how it works in commercial life and it really focuses the mind on getting results.

[jno]

'performance by results' - that's how they employ traffic wardens these days; the more tickets they give out, the more pay they get. Does anyone actually want the country run on this basis?

[vehelpfulguy]

I think it is like the Passport Agency, which was spun off as a separate agency a while ago.

It is now much easier to measure its performnce as it is a separate organization rather than being lost inside the home office.

I had to go to the Liverpool passport office twice last year and was given a time slot both times and told if I turned up earlier than 20 minutes before my time I would not be let in.

I got there, waited a few minutes, saw someone and it was all very efficient.

Not like the civil service of old.

[aristotle]

The Tories hit upon this wheeze when they were last in government. If it's an agency it means the minister isn't responsible when things go wrong. Of course, he/she can still claim the credit when things go right. As a civil service department, the minister can't escape responsibility.

[buildersmate]

Most of the above answers cover the key differences. Agencies are self-contained organisations that get their funding directly from a Government, produce their own accounts, have performance targets agreed for them with their Minister, and generally get on with their work without day-to-day interference from the Minister. Agencies are linked to a Government Department, so for example, the Passport Agency is an Agency of the Home Office and the Met Office is an Agency of the MOD. There are hundreds of them across most Government departments. Some Agencies have what is called Trading Fund status. These Agencies are allowed to sell products and services, and raise revenue, and use the revenue generated. So for example the Met Office 'sells' weather info to farmers and commercial organisations, as well as coming on the Beeb every day to tell us its going to be yet another hot day. Agencies that are not linked to a Department (and hence a Minister) are called Non Departmental Public Bodies (or NDPB) but that's probably too much information for you.